Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-08-07
PISTOLS, sHOTGUNs, RIFLES.
Interesting Facts About weapons
of Sport and Death.


Interesting Facts About weapons
of sport and Death.
From the New York SUM-
"There have been pistols enough
sold in the last ten years to arm the
male population of the United States,
and if every man and big boy in the
country has not got one it must be be-
cause the cheap pistols don't last long
enough to be handed down as heir
looms" So spoke the manager OF a
famous house in the firearms business
on Maiden lane.
SIS the demand for pistols increas-
ing in proportion to the increase OF
population ?"
al am glad to say that it is not, es-
pecially in the south, where it has
been the rule for the male sex to go
armed, and where the crack Of the
revolver has too often been the UNI
pire of argument. The authorities in
several southern states have appar-
emily seen the necessity of placing
some restraint on the carrying OF
deadly weapons, and the pre-
ponderance of public sentiment
is everywhere against the indis-
criminate practice. Texas has en-
acted law imposing six months I'M
prisonment and fine of $3.50 for car
rying pistol. In Tennessee, Georgia,
Alabama and Arkansas the sale OF
pistol cartridges is prohibited. The
northwestern State OF Illinois has Il
very good law requiring dealers in
pistols to keep record of every sale
and to whom sold, as apothecaries
must do when selling poisons. This
law. of course, facilitates the procuring
of evidence in cases OF murder by the
use of a pistol"
"You do not approve OF cheap pis-
tolls"
do not. The purchaser of pis-
tol, desiring a good, durable and trust
worthy weapon, should not pay less
than $40, and from that to S15. The
vast majority of pistols in the market
are, however, of the IS cent and 81
quality. There is probably no danger
of explosion in using such weapons.
They are not likely to burst as the
strain is on the shell and at the breach,
and there is ample strength there, as
a general thing, to prevent bursting.
But such pistols soon wear out. Like
the razors Hodge bought at shilling
a dozen, they are manufactured to
SELL"
"Do many women buy pistols ?'
"Some respectable women, living
isolated, or under circumstances which
justify the apprehension that there
may be need Of deadly weapon fol
use in defending themselves or theil
property, procure pistols. But in sucf
cases they are apt to lock the pisto
up in a drawer, and not be able to ge'
it when they may happen to need it
Fast women not unfrequently arm
themselves with pistols. They usually
buy the cheap kind. As rule, wher
a woman buys a pistol she probably
has some very serious idea in he
head. Under ordinary circumstance
the sex has no inclination for sucl
weapons.
1.-THE trade in sporting weapons,
added the manager, is increasing
A good many more shotguns are sole
than rifles, and, Notwithstanding th'
35 per cent. duty, English shotgun
continue in favor, because they arr
made by hand and have undergone ;
thorough government inspection, while
the American weapon is made by ma
chinery, and is subjected to no govern
ment test whatever. A good Englisl
shotgun can be procured at from 81
to $50, first-class weapon from $50 t
800, some English shotguns are sole
as low as $1p or $15. Even these arr
safe, as far as bursting is concerned
owing to the rigid government inspec
tion. All shotguns imported are no
handmade, as there are twomanufac
turers in Belgium who use machinery
American shotguns retail for from $4(
to $75 and 800 for the better grades
the English handmade goods beinl
able to undersell the American, the
tariff to the contrary Notwithstanding
"In rifles, however, the Americana
held the market. Their machine
manufactured rifles cannot be equallet
by the handiwork of Englishmen, anC
American rifles are sold all over. thu
world. The demand for sportin,
rifles has, however, been unfavorabl.
affected, owing to the indiscriminat'
slaughter of large game in the ia
West. The class of arms sold t.
bufalo-hunters have almost gone on
of the market, owing to the rapid ex
tinction of the buffalo"
"These dealers in arms are in favo
of the protection of game?"
"Emphatically SO, and every true
sportsman is. The extinction of gam
would mean the cessation OF deman'
for sporting arms"
SIS game decreasing in the Easter
and Middle States?"
81 should say not, judging from tn
demand for shotguns and sportin,
rifles. The game laws are being mad
more and more stringent, and publ
sentiment sustains their enforcement
The small game OF the Atlantic State
is rather on the increase"